Spring lock hinge and latch for playpens



Dec. 16, 1952 w. H. HURLIN SPRING LOCK HINGE AND LATCH FOR PLAYPENS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed May 2'7, 1950 INVENTOR. WILLlAM H. Human Dec. 16, 1952 w. H. HURLIN 2,621,360

SPRING LOCK HINGE AND LATCH FOR PLAYPENS Filed May 2'7, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR. WILLIAM H Hu RLIN Patented Dec. 16, 1952 SPRING LOCK HINGE AND LATCH FOR PLAYPENS William H. Hurlin, Antrim, N. H. Application May 27, 1950, Serial No. 164,740

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in fitments for childrens play pens, and, more particularly, the aim is to provide a novel and valuable combination hinge and snapl-atch unit for use as a connecting fitment between two foldably coupled side rail sections in a collapsible play pen so constructed that when the latter is to be established as such said rail sections must be aligned and clamped into alignment.

An object of this invention is to provide a fitment incorporating an improved means for hingedly connecting rigid members and for looking said members rigidly together when so desired.

Another object is to provide a fitment as just stated, wherein its locking means is of the snaplatch type, that is, arranged to become operative solely as the result of the hinge leaves or equivalent members being brought to a predetermined relative disposition.

A further object is to provide such a fitment, and one which is so constructed that its accidental unlocking, after it has been locked, is substantially impossible.

Another object is to provide such a fitment, and one which may, nevertheless, be readily deliberately unlocked.

Still another object is to provide a combination hinge and snap-latch unit which is of simple and inexpensive construction, which may be readily attached, and which will be durable and always of dependable action.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a now favored embodiment of the combination hinge and snap-latch unit of the present invention, as applied to the upper side rail of a childs play pen.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing, on an enlarged scale, said unit, and parts of said rail, as seen in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view, showing the parts of Figs. 2, 3 and 4, but With now the snap-latch instrumentality ineffective and the hinge members swung one toward the other.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but with now the hinge members swung to the limit required to bring the sections of said rail into substantial parallelism.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a portion of one of the hinge members taken on the line 1-1 of'Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a view corresponding to Fig. 3, but showing a modification inclusive of a locking 2 means for the snap-latch, with the locking means in effectuable position. i

Fig. 9 is a view the same as Fig. 8, but with the locking means in idle position.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing a pivotally mounted member constituting the locking means.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary detail section, taken on the line I l-ll of Fig. 9.

The combination hinge and snap-latch fitment, according to the first form of the present invention shown inFigs. 1 to 7, is particularly applicable to childrens play pens for maintaining rigidly connected, when so desired, the two sections [0 and II of an upper side rail of the play pen which are to be swung inwardly to permit collapsing of the play pen to facilitate storage thereof.

The combination hinge and snap-latch fitment as illustrated herein, includes a first hinge member l2 and a second hinge member [3, both of which are of L-shape in cross-section to provide in each a bottom plate-like portion and a side plate-like portion. Formed 01f the'side plate-like portions of both said hinge members are top and bottom ear portions I4 and I5 respectively, In order to provide relative swinging movement between said first and second hinge members, a pivot pin I6 is provided to pivotally connect said hinge members at said top and bottom ear portions. Related limiting portions I1 formed at the adjacent ends of the upper rail sections [0 and Il limit the relative swinging movement of the hinge members to the position shown in Fig. 6 from the positions shown in Figs. 1 to 4 and back to the starting position shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

With the hinge members [2 and 13 secured respectively to the side rail sections In and II, as illustrated, and as by means of the four screws l8, relative swinging movement of said rail sections is limited to one direction, namely, inward.

The snap-latch locking means included in the unit also including the hinge structure just described, incorporates an L-shaped leaf spring element l9 fixedly secured to the bottom platelike portion of the hinge member I3. Such securement of the element [9 is shown as eifected along one of its legs, herein shown as its longer leg, by the use of two rivets 2U.

Said leaf spring element I9 is apertured at 2|, which aperture 2| is for acting as a keeper relative to a projection 22 extended downward from the bottom plate-like portion of the hinge member l2.-

With the projection 22 snapped into the keeper 2|, which automatically happens when the hinge members l2 and I3 are extended. and the rail sections 10 and H are aligned as in Figs. 1-4, the snap-latch instrumentality is effective to lock said rail sections as thus aligned.

Easy and certain snapping of the projection 22 into the aperture 2| is insured by virtue of the presence of the other, and as herein shown the shorter, leg of the leaf spring element I9;

which shorter leg at its free end portion '23 is downwardly longitudinally arched. The parts are so shaped and arranged that, in changing the rail sections 10 and H from their relative positions in Fig. 6 to their relative positions in Fig. 4, there will be such relative movement between the projection 22 and the: element [9 that first there will be an interception between the bottom crest of the projection 22 and the upper surface of the downwardly arched end portion 23 of the element l9. Thereafter there will be a camming action by said projection 22 relative to the shorter leg of the element 19, thereby gradually elastically forcing said shorter le downward. Finally, as the parts come to the relative dispositions shown in Fig. 4, the projection 22 snaps tight into the aperture or keeper 2|.

The downwardly arched free end portion 23 of the shorter leg of the leaf spring element [9 projects outward, as shown in Figs. '2 and 4, when the new fitment is latch-locked as shown in these views. The thus projected portion of the leaf spring element 19 then presents a readily deliberately elastically depressible finger piece, yet one which it is substantially impossible accidentally to depress.

When this finger piece is deliberately manually depressed, as by use of a thumb or finger, and at the same time hand pressure is used to exert a force against either of the rail sections 10 and I l in a direction inward of the play pen, the aperture or keeper 2| is moved free of the projection 22, then away from said projection, as in Fig. 5, and then further toward or to a location relative tov such projection as indicated in Fig.6.

As the projection-'22 is shown herein,the same is integral with and struck downwardly from the bottom plate-like portion of the hinge member I2. With the material of .said plate-like portion worked to provide the projection 22 of the crosssection illustrated in Fig. 7, the sheet metal stock of which the hinge members are made may be kept fairly thin and yet the projection 22 may be so formed as to be of adequate ruggedness.

Referring to the modification of the invention illustrated in Figs. 8-11, this structure is exactly like that already described, and hence with the parts bearing the same reference numerals as in Figs. 1-7; except that in the saidmodification there is additionally included a swingably mounted member 25 which may be readily manually .turned in one direction to disable the leaf spring element l9, as in Fig. 8, so that then the finger piece 23 cannot be depressed to free the projection 22 from the keeper 2!, and also readily manually turned in the opposite direction to free said finger piece for depression, asin Fig. 9.

The member .25, formed of metal, has anaperture 26 intermediate its ends a small claw or tooth 21 .at one of its ends near said aperture, and a major portion in the shape of .anarm .23 of .L-shaped cross-section because including a portion 29 struck up at right angles to .the uniplanar extensionof the remainder of the member 25.

Bymeans of a rivet suchas indicatedat 30, the member .25 ispivotallymounted on thesideplate portion of the hinge member .12; withthe shank of this rivet going through the aperture. .and

.suohshank being expanded conically for-countersunk reception in said hinge member .12 as indicated at '3 I in Fig. 11.

The struck up portion 29 f themember .25 constitutes a secondary, finger piece, this for fatcilitating a manually effected swingo'f the said member, either to the position in Fig. 8 or to the position shown in Fig. 9. When the parts are as in Fig. 8, the claw or tooth 21 is under the portion of the leaf spring element Hi just in back of the downwardly arched end portion 23 of said element constituting its finger piece; and when the parts are as in Fig. 9, said claw or tooth 2'! is cleared away from the leaf spring element 19. A tiny cup spring washer 32 is on the rivet 31 as shown, with the latter of a length such that the washer 32 will be under suflicient compression and hence tension to insure that the member 25 will be frictionally securely held in either its Fig. 8 or 9 position when manually moved to that position.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the rig-ht is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described by invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

In a hinge having adjacent hinge members pivoted to each other and adapted to be secured to adjacent vertical faces of end abutted rail sections so that the rail sections are free to pivot on the pivot of the hinge members, platelike portions extending at right angles from the lower edge of each hinge member and adapted to be along the adjacent side of its respective rail section, an L-shaped leaf spring having one long arm and one short arm, said leaf spring having the free end of its long arm secured to the face of one of said plate-like portions with the junction of said arms disposed beneath the face of the other of said plate-like portions when the hinge members are in extended position, said leaf spring having a hole at the junction of its arms, and a projection depending from the bottom face of the said other plate-like portion and into said hole -to hold the rail sections against pivoting on the pivot of the hinge members, said short arm of said leaf spring being of a length to extend beyond the 'facesof the hinge members when they are closed so that it may be pressed downward for flexing said leaf spring and thereby disengage said projection from-said hole and free the rail sections to be pivoted on the pivot of the hinge members, an arm pivoted on the hinge member having the said other plate-like portion, said pivot for said pivoted arm being located above and to one side of the short arm of said leaf spring, and a tooth extending from said pivoted arm for engagement beneath the short arm of said leaf spring for releasably holding said leaf spring from being flexed and disengaging said projection andsaid WILLIAM H. HURLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

